Mud wrestling

It didn't take long for Artorias to see the first of his children responding to his call make their way toward him. Vendrick came rushing over at a sprint, bringing a delighted smile to the father's face—only for that smile to grow with a bit of a laugh as he watched his son slip and wipe out in a particularly wet patch of mud, covering his front half in muck. Seeing Ven's deflated mood, Artorias gave his son a sympathetic smile and then brought both of his massive paws down hard into the mud to splash up some of the mud down his forelegs and chest, getting himself dirty with his pup so the two boys were both messy before they'd even begun. "Don't worry, buddy, we're all gonna be getting dirty today," he reassured Ven with a flash of teeth in a playful grin. Bramble arrived next, and once again Artorias was stunned by how much his little girl had grown! Bramble now stood almost as tall as him, and at just over a year it was clear she had inherited her sire's genes for height. Art watched with pride while Bramble give Vendrick a little reassurance, glad that most of his eldest litter were getting along with their younger siblings.

Bramble stood before him with eagerly wagging tail and a fair question on her tongue. Artorias gave his daughter an austere look and simply replied, "You don't always get to choose your battlefields in life. If raiders come after a rainstorm, will you ask them to come back later when the ground dries?" It wasn't asked in a stern manner or to belittle her question, but to get Bramble thinking about situations of things beyond her control. Two of the three times the Hallows had been attacked had occurred at night, and it was probable that others would come in inclement weather. Sadly, most raiders didn't care if it was a little muddy. As he was speaking to Bramble, Artorias saw Nelu approach and sit beside his older sister, the sapphire and black dire wolf greeting his boy with a warm smile. "Hello, Nelu! Once we have everyone who wants to join us here, I'll let you all know." Solaire arrived a moment later, and then came Ember, bringing most of his second litter in attendance.

Once he was certain no others would be joining them, Art turned his attention to his family. "Today, little ones, we're going to be having a bit of fun outside. I know how much everyone here loves play-fighting and wrestling, so we're going to be doing that while enjoying some of the fresh air. We've all been cooped up inside for too long and now that spring is here, let's enjoy it!" Sliding his giant paws through the mud and damp earth, Artorias lifted a pawful of the soil and let it slide through his toes as he spread them. "Fighting an opponent on dry earth is much different than fighting in the mud and muck. Sometimes you won't have a choice in where a battle takes place, and it's always important to be prepared for anything. Knowing how to adapt to your environment is a major part of being a successful fighter and adventurer." Even his children who didn't care for martial arts had shown a passion for travel and adventure; this would be an equally important lesson to them as well.

To demonstrate his point, Artorias turned and took off at a sprint from his gathering of children, running a few feet before kicking out his paws and sliding across the slippery mud, a feat that would've been impossible on hard dirt. After sliding gracefully for a short distance, Art turned and trotted back over to his kids, his legs, paws, and underbelly now sufficiently coated in mud. "I want all of you to play fight as you always do, but keep in mind the changes in the ground beneath your paws. Really feel how the earth moves when it's wet like this. You can break out into partners or start one big melee with everyone. Just be careful not to hurt anyone!" With his instructions given to his youngest litter, Artorias fixed his fiery gaze on Bramble. She was a little too big to be sparring with her baby siblings, but that didn't mean his daughter was going to be left out. "As for you, Brammie, you're going to try to take me down. See if you can knock me off my feet and pin me." He grinned at his daughter, squaring off against her with paws spread in his battle stance. Bramble knew the basics of combat, so this would be more a lesson for her to focus on the terrain and how to manage her movements and feet. "When you're ready, show your old man what you've got!"

"Artorias" | "Carpathian"